Wire-stretcher.



Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

N. WHITESEL WHITESEL N. & F. WHITESEL.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1914.

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vvflmemo WIRE-STRETGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '3, 1915.

Application filed October 14, 1914. Serial No. 866,643.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NEWTON Wrn'rnsnn and FRED lVHrrEsnL, citizens ofthe United States, residing at VVatertown, in the county of Buffalo andState of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to wire stretchers, and particularly toimprovements in the wire stretcher covered by our prior Patent, No.1,110,473, issued September 15, 1914:.

An object of this invention is to simplify the construction andarrangement of the parts of the wire stretcher as disclosed in our priorpatent, to render the tool more cheaply manufactured, and to increasethe usefulness of the same. i

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify theanchoring means for supportingthe stretcher on a fence post, the meansfor stretching the wire and the means forclamping the tool to the. postbeing carried by the same member of the device.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more fully apparentas the description proceeds, our invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts, to be hereinaftermore fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in whi.ch

Figure 1 is a top plan view of our improved wire'stretcher; Fig. 2 is aside elevation-a1 view thereof{ Fig.3 is a bottom plan view with thechain removed; Fig. 4'

is a detail sectional view of the head showing the dog mounted therein;and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the head taken at right angleswith that shown in Fig. 4;.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the wire stretcher includesa post clamp or anchoring member which comprises a head 1 from whichprojects a pairof arms 2 and 3 which are of the same length and whichextend in parallel relation with each other, the arms being held spacedapart by a brace 4i. Projecting from the head 1 at right angles to thearms 2 and 3 are another pair of arms 5 and 6, the arms being disposedin parallel relation with each other, and the arm 6 being of relativelygreater length than the arm 5. The inner edges of the arms 5'and 6 areprovidedwith spurs 7 which are adapted to engage into the post to holdthe head rigid with relation thereto, and to prevent turning or slippingof the head. The arms 2 and 3 are provided intermediate of their endswith rearwardly projecting ears 8, and disposed between the cars isagrooved sheave 9, having integral therewith a ratchet segment 10. Thesheave 9 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 11 which is rotatably mounted atits ends in the ears 8 and loosely mounted on the shaft 11 between theratchet segment and one of the ears 8 is the forward end of an operatinglever 12.

The outer edge of the arm 6 is provided with a plurality of inwardlyextending slots or recesses 14, and connected to the periphery of thesheave 9 is one end of a post clamping chain 15, one of the linksadjacent the outer end of the chain being adapted for engagement withinone of the slots 14: in the arms, whereby the stretcher may be connectedto posts of various sizes and to rotate the sheave 9 whereby the chain15 may be tightened about the post, a lug 16 projects laterally from thesegment 10 at one end thereof. As shown in the drawing, the lug 16 isdisposed in the path of the lever 12, whereby when the lever is swung inthe proper direction, it is engaged against the lug 16 and the sheave 9is rotated to tighten the chain about the post. To prevent rotation ofthe sheave" in the reverse direction, a pawl 17 is pivotally connectedto the arm 2, the pawl being normally engaged against the periphery ofthe ratchet segment 10." r

Thehead 1 is provided with a chamber 18 in which is pivotally mounted awire holding dog 19, the dog being provided with the usual serrations tobite into the wire which is designated by the letter W, the dog beingadapted to bind the wire against the adjacent wall 20 of the head. Theouter wall of the chamber is divided to provide a passage way 21 throughwhich the wire may be inserted within the head and against the wall 20.The dog 19 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 22 to one end of which a lever23 is connected, and projecting from the lever is a pin or stud, towhich one end of a coiled spring 24: is connected, the other end of thespring being connected to a pin or stud projecting from the arm 2. Theconnection of the spring with the lever 23 is such that when the leveris swung to a position to shift the holding dog 19 from operative toinoperative position, the lever will pass the dead center and therebycause the spring to operate to hold the dog in an operative posi-- 26 isprovided, a pulling dog 27 being mounted in the chamber on a shaft 28one end of which projects from the head and carries a lever 29. A springis connected at one end to the lever29 and at its other end to the lever12, the spring 30 operating in the same'manner as the spring 2 1 tocause the lever 29 to hold the pulling dog in an operative relationrelative toone Wall of the head 25, the outer wall of the head beingalso divided to provide a passage way 31 to permit the insertion of thewire within the head. The post chain 15 is preferably provided withteeth 32 which are adapted to bite into the post to assist in holdingthe stretcher thereon when the same is in a position for use.

In the practical'use of our improved wire stretcher, the arms of thehead are brought into engagement with the post, and'one of g the linkson the free end of the chain is en gaged in one of the slots 14 in thearm 6,

. whereupon the lever 12 is rotated to tighten the chain and thus causethe spurs'7 on the arms ,to sink into the post and anchor the tool inposition. The dog 19 is then moved to unlocked position and the wire ispassed through the passage way 21 in the chamber 18 and the wire is alsopassed through the passage way 31 in the chamber 26 with the pulling dog27 in unlocked position, whereupon the dog 27 is brought into engagementwith the wire, so that when the lever is Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the swung in the properdirection, the wire is placed under the desired tension, and the lockingdog 19 is then moved to locked position to securely grip the Wire andhold the same until the operator staples the wire to the post.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be seen that an extremely simple fastening means isprovided for holding the clamping chain in position, and that the lever12 serves as a means for tightening the chain, and also for placing thewire under the desired tension.

What we claim is 2-- In a wire stretcher, a head provided with pairs ofpost engaging arms, each arm of one of said pairs being provided with alaterally projecting lug, a shaft rotatably mounted in said lugs, agrooved sheave secured on said shaft, a ratchet segment formed on oneside of said sheave and having a lug formed thereon, a chain connectedat one end to the sheave and havingits other end arranged for engagementwith one of the other arms, a lever mounted at one end on said shaft,said lug being disposed in the path of the lever, whereby upon movementof the lever in the proper direction, said sheave will be rotated totighten said chain, wire holding means carried by the lever, and meanscarried by the head for preventing rotation of the sheave in theopposite direction to loosen the chain.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

Witnesses: V

A. L. FITCH, E. B. BUNINGTON.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

